Nancy Chrisman, a special education teacher at Shiloh High School, is a recipient of the 38th Annual Leaveys Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education. The Leaveys Award honors outstanding teachers who create and conduct programs in entrepreneurship. Winners were selected by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.
Chrisman earned this national honor in recognition of her “Silver Lining Boutique” program. The Silver Lining is a school-based fashion boutique operated by Shiloh High School students. The Silver Lining’s mission is to provide an ongoing workplace environment for students to learn hands-on job skills, work ethics, and entrepreneurial skills. Students start a business from the ground up, developing an entrepreneurial inclination and learning problem-solving and team-building skills along the way.
Ms. Chrisman is one of only 12 educators in the country and the only one in metro Atlanta to be so honored. As a winner, Chrisman was awarded $7,500.
Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge was founded in 1949 and has been conducting educational programs for students and teachers since 1965. The mission of Freedoms Foundation is to educate the American people about their rights and responsibilities as citizens, honor acts of civic virtue, and challenge all people to reject apathy and get involved. Since its founding, 2 million students and teachers have been impacted by its citizenship programs. The Leaveys awards were established by the co-founder of the Farmers Insurance Group, the late Thomas Leavey and his philanthropic wife Dorothy, in partnership with the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.
